SMA ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB FOLLOWING AN SMT IN THE TFC PATTERN.
Synopsis
SMA ENCOUNTERS WAKE TURB FOLLOWING AN SMT IN THE TFC PATTERN.
Narrative
MY ACFT WAS A RENTED PIPER WARRIOR (PA-28-161). BEFORE DARK THAT EVENING I HAD STOPPED AT ANE IN BLAINE; MN; TO DROP OFF A PAX; AND AT THE TIME OF MY STORY I WAS DOING 3 FULL-STOP NIGHT LNDGS PRIOR TO CONTINUATION OF THE FLT INTO THE NIGHTTIME HRS WITH ONE REMAINING PAX (WHICH I AM GLAD I DID -- THE RWYS LOOK DIFFERENT AT NIGHT AND I HAVE NOT DONE ENOUGH NIGHT FLYING TO FEEL PROFICIENT ENOUGH TO CARRY PAX WITHOUT THE PRACTICE). AS I DID ONE OF MY TKOF'S ANOTHER ACFT ENTERED THE PATTERN; AND AS I TURNED AROUND ONTO DOWNWIND I ESTIMATE I WAS 1/2 MI BEHIND HIM. I DID NOT MAKE NOTE OF THE TYPE OF THE OTHER ACFT; BUT IT CARRIED THE PROLIFERATION OF FLASHING LIGHTS CHARACTERISTIC OF A KING AIR OR SIMILAR MODEL. I HELD AN AIRSPD OF ABOUT 80 KTS; AND I HAD PLANNED TO EXTEND MY DOWNWIND TO LENGTHEN THE DISTANCE BTWN US SO THAT THERE WOULD BE NO CONFLICT DURING THE LNDG. HOWEVER; I WAS APPARENTLY TOO CLOSE DURING THE DOWNWIND BECAUSE AS I FLEW MY DOWNWIND I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ROLL TO THE L OF ABOUT 30 DEGS WHICH I WAS ABLE TO COUNTERACT WITH A STRONG (LESS THAN FULL DEFLECTION) AILERON INPUT; AND THEN AFTER CORRECTING THE ROLL THE SAME THING HAPPENED ONE MORE TIME. IT WAS A CALM NIGHT AND THE ONLY EXPLANATION FOR THE SUDDEN ROLL IS WAKE TURB. THE SIT WAS NEITHER LIFE-THREATENING NOR EVEN FRIGHTENING; BUT IT TAUGHT ME RESPECT FOR PATTERN SPACING. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL SPACE MYSELF FURTHER BACK. I LEARN SOMETHING EVERY TIME I FLY; AND THIS IS NOT THE ONLY THING I LEARNED ON THIS TRIP. EVERY PLT IS TAUGHT IN GND SCHOOL ABOUT WAKE TURB; AND IT IS VALUABLE TRAINING; MAKING US AWARE OF A VERY REAL HAZARD WHICH CAN OCCUR NOT JUST DURING LNDG BUT ANY TIME WE FOLLOW ANOTHER ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS CONTACTED FOR THE STRUCTURED CALLBACK OF THE WAKE TURB STUDY. HE WAS AMAZED THAT EVEN THOUGH HE WAS TAKING PRECAUTION TO REMAIN WELL BEHIND THE TWIN; HE STILL ENCOUNTERED THE WAKE. HE FEELS HE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.